


I Want You To Fight For Me

by morephan



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Gryffindor, Past Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-06
Updated: 2017-01-06
Packaged: 2018-09-15 04:12:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9218450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/morephan/pseuds/morephan
Summary: Lily Evans hadn't slept properly in months. It's her 7th year, and she had a lot of her mind. James Potter had noticed a lingering relationship between Severus and Lily, but never really wanted to pry. He cared for her, deeply. However, he wasn't sure if she felt the same. One night, James notices Lily awake at an ungodly time, and doesn't want her to be alone.





	

Lily tapped her foot restlessly on the floor, sitting in the Gryffindor common room in near complete darkness. The embers in the fire were soon to be out, but she was still wide awake. 

"Incindio." She said quietly, pointing her wand and making sure not to wake anyone. She smiled to herself when the fire relit, without risk to lighting the common room. It was a difficult spell that even 7th years struggled with controlling. James and the others would always try doing it, but usually ended up catching the tails or their robes, or even worse, their homework, on fire. She chuckled recounting both of those memories. 

Wrapping herself in a blanket, she watched the flames lick the edges of the fireplace. She hadn't been sleeping recently. I suppose 'recently' would be a bit of an understatement. She hadn't slept properly in months. This happened as a child as well, but they soon stopped when she arrived at Hogwarts. She wasn't quite sure what that meant, but tried not to read into it too much, as they've come back in her final year. 

She heard a throat clear behind her and nearly jumped out of her skin. The common room had been empty for hours, and Lily had forgotten what it had felt like to hear someone's voice around her that wasn't her own. 

"Lily... are you alright?" James said quietly, rubbing his eyes. 

He sat down beside her and leaned his head back on the couch so he could see the top of the very tall Gryffindor ceiling. 

"I just couldn't sleep. I'm fine, James. Go on back to bed." She refused to look at him. She would be lying if she said she didn't have feelings for him. And he's here, rubbing his forehead, hair a mess. He's here right in front of her for whatever reason she doesn't know, but she's to sleep deprived to look into it too much so she asks him herself. 

"What are you doing up?" He tilted his head and smiled at her. James was braver, less private about his emotions. He never hid a smile reserved only for Lily, never held back about complimenting her, never had second thoughts about spending time with her. He loved her, but he was never able to say it fully. He wasn't afraid, no, that wasn't it.

It was mostly a hesitation, because he didn't want to make Lily feel like she had to choose. He knew she loved Severus. There was no issue there. But he also knew that Severus was a man who would take until there was nothing left. He admired Severus for being passionate about the things he cared for, but cursed him for ignoring how that made the people around him feel. 

 

 

Long ago, before Lily and James were even friends, Gryffindors and Slytherins had their third year of potions together. Lily and Snape, fast friends at the time, were always partners. One day, they weren't. James found this peculiar, but when Lily sat down next to one of her girl friends, he kept on with his assignments, making sure he and Sirius were following instructions properly. Later that evening in the great hall, Lily scarfed down her dinner, and ran out. Before she had the opportunity to make a quick exit, Severus confronted her. He grabbed her shoulders, shaking her a little, and asked her something too quiet for anyone to hear. Lily backed away, and started crying. Severus just... stood there, expressionless. James watched the entire scene go down, and approached Severus after Lily had left the dining hall. 

"I don't mean to be rude, but if you don't mind my asking, why was Lily crying?" James had said, lightly grabbing Severus's arm. 

"It's none of your business, Potter." When Severus realized James wasn't leaving without an answer (Stubborn one, he is.), he rolled his eyes and said, "We just had a little spat, okay?" 

Severus jerked his arm out from James's grasp, and walked away briskly. James frowned, and ran up to the common room, leaving his friends to finish their dinner without him, which was a very rare occurrence. Remus was certainly a stickler for their 'little family' to all eat dinner together nightly. James was sure he'd get an annoyed Remus to deal with later that night. 

As James pushed open the door to the common room, Lily was sat there, in front of the fire, starring deeply into the embers, tears slowly drying on her face. James wasn't even sure she heard him walk in, so he cleared his throat. Lily jumped a little bit, and quickly wiped away her tears. 

"Are... are you okay? I saw you and Severus in the Great Hall. I know how close you two are." James sat down on the floor beside her, making sure to keep his distance. He certainly didn't want her to feel any more uncomfortable than she probably already was. 

"I'm fine, thanks. He didn't mean what he said. He just... does that sometimes." Lily had begun crying again, but she was trying so hard to get herself to stop. 

"It's okay to cry, you know. I don't mind. Sirius is the same way. Always thinks he's too tough to cry. Hah.." This was awkward, James thought, but Lily offered a smile of thanks, and summoned a box of tissues from across the room with the accio spell. They hadn't even learned that yet. 

James was about to offer a compliment, but Lily interjected before he could. "He just doesn't THINK about what he says anymore! He thinks I'm just a kid he can boss around. He's so desperate for control he'll hurt anyone and anything to have it back." At this point, Lily was crying pretty hard, so it was difficult to understand what she was saying. James didn't know what else to do, so he pulled her close to him and hugged her tightly. 

"I'm so sorry." 

 

 

"I woke up to use the toilet, and I heard you doing magic. Just wanted to check on you I guess." 

Lily, who had been attempting to avoid his gaze, finally met his eyes. She smiled her toothy smile, and wrapped her arms around him. James was often a show off and perhaps a little abrasive, but he had one of the purest hearts of any of the people that she knew. James chuckled and patted her back. 

"My 'Lily is showing off again' senses were tingling I guess. I can't let you be the only one who knows Incindio, can I?" 

Lily laughed and pushed him away, rolling her eyes. It had been a running gag between them that James was jealous of Lily being such a talented witch. Everything she did, James thought she succeeded in. 

"It really is a shame you can't sleep, Lily." James moved a piece of auburn hair that had fallen into her eyes. She furrowed her eyebrows, confused as to why he was being so gentle. Lily was such a brilliant person, but she really was daft when it came to seeing how much James loved her.

"I know you've looked into spells and tonics to help with your sleep, but I don't think magic always works. No matter how good of a witch you are. So I'll stay here, and you're going to sleep. Alright?" James stood up, brought over a pillow for Lily, and sat down on a different chair so she could lay down fully. 

"Honestly, you can't be serious." Lily chuckled and patted the spot beside her for James to sit back down, but he remained obstinate in the chair. 

"Fine. Can we at least talk until I get tired?" Lily asked, laying her head down on the pillow and stretching out on the couch. 

"Sure. What do you want to talk about?" James shut his eyes and took deep breaths, feeling the warmth of the fire heat up his entire being. He enjoyed tonight. It didn't matter that it was nearly 3am. He enjoyed spending time quietly talking to Lily without the others pestering them. 

"Well. Particularly the Slug Club Christmas party. I can invite someone. And I figured I'd invite you." Lily was staring at the ceiling, waiting for James's response. Nothing. James was saying nothing. "Yeah. I, uh, I figured it was dumb to ask. Never mind. I'm sorry I brought it up." She flipped on her side, facing the inside of the couch, trying to hide her embarrassment.

 

 

It was around the same time of year, and the Christmas spirit was buzzing around the students and through the halls. Rumors of a Slug Club Christmas party were about. James figured this year was the year Severus and Lily would finally make their relationship public. He wasn't sure why this bothered him other than the fact that he and Severus hated each other, but it did. He and Lily were close friends, yes, and he admired her very much. However, there had never been anything more. He had assumed that Lily and Severus were dating, as much as that pained him. Ever since that day in their 3rd year, James knew Lily deserved someone who valued her for who she was, not just someone who liked her for who they wanted her to be. It wasn't James's place to say, of course. But that didn't mean it wasn't any less painful. 

He sat down next to Lily in the common room that evening after everyone else had gone to bed. She was working on some homework that had been passed out earlier that week. 

"Hello, James. How are you?" Lily asked, not looking up from her piece of parchment. 

He lowered his face to the table and tried to peer up at her. She chuckled and set down her pen. 

"You really are quite pesky sometimes. Let me try that again. Hello, James. How are you?" James smiled, and they had a pleasant conversation. However, when James walked away to get ready for bed, he frowned at the empty feeling he had. It had been bothering him since he saw Lily and Severus arguing in hushed tones near the Slytherin common room. 

"This has gone too far. Really. I know you think you're doing the right thing here, but you aren't. And I would really appreciate it if you would please leave me alone. I'm tired of fighting, Severus."

James hadn't meant to ease drop, but he did. When he made eye contact with Lily, something had passed between them. He kept on walking. 

 

 

She felt a tap on her back and slowly turned back around, hiding her face in her hands. James was chuckling and pushed her upright. He sat down beside her and pulled her hands off of her face, and kissed them gently. 

"Stop hiding behind your hands, Lily. You've got nothing to be embarrassed about. I want you to ask me again, and I want you to mean it. I don't want any apologies after you ask. I have to know you want me to go. I want you to fight for me." This seemed like an odd request, but last year something had happened between them.

"I'd fight for you every day." 

In that moment, when James looked at Lily's green eyes, he knew she would. James let go of her hands, and lightly cups her face with his. Lily closed her eyes, breathing deep. She felt James run his fingertips along her eyelashes and let them settle on her lips. He brushed his thumb against them, and inched ever closer. This was the moment they had both waited for. Lily opened her eyes, and pulled James into her. 

When Lily finally pulled back, she chuckled and ran her fingers through her hair. James sat back on the couch, and looked at the ceiling once again. 

"Lily, you really do show off with everything. Even kissing. How am I even going to survive this party with you lot?" 

Lily leaned into him and laced her fingers through his. She never fully realized how soothing it was to listen to James speak. His voice sounded warm, and eventually, her blinking grew longer and longer. James drew circles with his thumb on her hand, and Lily finally drifted off into a long awaited, comfortable, and fulfilling sleep.


End file.
